In France, the health crisis has massively increased the use of remote work in companies whose activities lend themselves to it: one in three employees telecommutes. While employers were mostly reluctant to do so, confinement demonstrated the efficiency of employees from their homes. The Danone Institute (read framed) ordered at Credoc, a study on the consequences of this practice on the dietary behavior of teleworkers. It was conducted from March to May 2022, on 621 volunteer employees of Danone, in France.
“This Tuesday, the Danone Institute will organize its first prospective day on this subject of the impact of teleworking on diet, lifestyle and health, it will be an opportunity to present the results of this study”, points out Françoise Néant, the general delegate of the Danone Institute.
“Chocolate is consumed much more in telework”
This survey shows that when working from home, people eat more alone (72% of respondents) than when they are in the office (12%). The length of the lunch break is shorter when working from home: less than 20 minutes for 38% of employees surveyed. While in the office, only 18% spend less than 20 minutes on it.
“The meal is simplified with for more than 40% of the employees questioned a reduction in the components (starter, dishes, cheeses, dessert) of the meal and diversity, points out Françoise Néant. There is also more snacking (+8%) with chocolate in particular, which is consumed much more in teleworking (+22%). »
It should be noted that the respondents in this case benefit from a collective catering offer at their place of work, even if they can also have lunch outside.
Recommendations to go further
“The Institute wants to go further and structure recommendations to support the French towards healthier lifestyles by proposing avenues of recommendations, from the start of 2023”, advances the general delegate of the Danone Institute. She believes that this study is simply a first step that shows that more data is needed on the consequences of telework on food. It would be possible to go further by adopting, for example, the method of food diaries in order to obtain a nutritional indicator of meals.
“We could also wonder what this means for employees who do not have access to a structured catering offer,” she says. Beyond food, telework is accompanied by more sedentary lifestyle and exposure to screens and can have repercussions on the life of the whole family.
“The Institute is taking on this societal subject which will potentially lead to health problems in the population who practice it, considers the general delegate of Danone. Health professionals are wondering about the cardio-metabolic consequences of a poor diet, which will potentially be reinforced when you are teleworking. »